Running
by Silveni
Summary: This is AU, what if they got to the Younglings before Anikan killed them all? Where would they go? And what will the future hold for Obiwan? Well, don't worry, I do something
1. Chapter 1

"Quickly you must go. Save the remaining Younglings you shall," Yoda said to Obi-wan Kenobi as they ran (and floated) toward the speeder/ship launch site. "Take separate ships we will. Go to Degobah (A/N that system where Luke finds Yoda in the first movies) I will. Hide the remaining Younglings you shall."

"Yes, Master, I will do this," Obi-wan said quickly, and then questioned: "But if I meet with whoever has attacked the Temple, how will I stop them?"

"Meet him, you will not, if hurry you do," the small Master said serenely. "Go, now."

_In the Temple of the Jedi_

"Younglings, younglings shh, quickly this way," Obi-wan said quietly to the padawans who were left. "We must get out of here. Do you all have your lightsabers?"

"Yes Master Obi-wan,"

"Good. We may have to fight. The five of you, stay on your guard. My speeder is on the launch bay one floor above this one. We're making a run for it."

The six people ran to the launch bay, when they were confronted with a squad of droids. The apprentices, who were good enough with their 'sabers to have lasted this long in the besieged Temple, raised their weapons, ready to fight again. The six of them managed to defeat the droids without any further injury to any of them. Then they started to run. As they got to the speeder, he started it up, and flew away from their home, never to see it again.

"Now, off we go," Obi-wan said to himself urgently, but slightly relieved that they hadn't met with any resistance… or too much resistance anyway. "Why did it have to be flying?" was his plea to the Force.

"After about five minutes of silence, one of the Younglings, Liam from Yoda's lightsaber class went up to Obi-wan and asked. "Master, where will we go?"

The child had gotten right to the point. Where were they to go that was safe?


	2. Chapter Two

_Forward-ho: _

After a long silence, where Obi-wan hovered the speeder in a dark corner, he turned and looked over the ten younglings he'd been able to save. That was a lot of kids. He didn't particularly like children. But they were his to save from the Dark Side.

So he swallowed, raised his chin and said, "We're going to the Lower City, ground level, where few people will know how to find us. I know someone there who can help us." _Whether or not they WILL help us depends. _

"Will they help us?" Kenya, the girl asked. "Apparently Jedi aren't the most popular people in the universe these days." Several of the other Padawans, two of them her best friends nodded at her wise question.

As she scrunched up her face, dark hair falling into it, he knew he couldn't lie to them. While they were ten different children, ranging from those unpicked to be Padawans, and those too young for more than basic training, they had proven themselves to be great fighters and powerful people. They had to be to survive. "I hope so. If they don't things will be… difficult."

None of the Younglings remarked on the difference between 'he' and 'they' but at the time, they probably supposed that it wasn't too important, perhaps a slip on the part of Master Kenobi. Kenya, the most mentally strong of the group, and Breck, the most physically strong of the group seemed to become the leaders for the other eight children. They organized them into groups, gave instructions, and made sure no one was hurt.

As the speeder (A/N: speeder, little transport thingy, just not like the one in Episode II that they jump out of, bigger) touched down in the Lower City, Obi-wan took into account the surroundings, and possible safety level.

It was dark, being only lit by the torches and rubbish-bins on fire. The buildings were all dirty and few people walked around. It was a place that inspired silence. Nothing grew in the cracks in the pavement and nothing was happy. The world was tinted red down here. The people walked by, making long shadows in the already dark alley. None of them spoke, just continued on their way. The only women about were of – questionable morality – and wearing very little clothing. Rats scurried away as the eleven people walked to the door that Kenobi led them to.

He knocked three times and stepped back. The black iron door opened and someone shot a blaster. It hit right where Obi-wan had just been standing. Someone's eyes widened. The door opened fully now, and the blaster carrying figure stepped forward. As it moved out into the dim light, the scene it saw was this. Obi-wan Kenobi, master of the Jedi was standing on the stoop looking apprehensive. Flanking him were a boy and a girl, each holding up a smaller child. Behind them were six other children.

It vanished into the building, leaving the door open. The wayward group followed, their Jedi shoes making little noise on the tiled interior.

"Where are we?" asked a small piping voice from the back. Just then, the lights came on, illuminating the room. It was a small tiled entrance hall with stairs rising up to where the blaster-person was.

She, for it was a she then said, "You are in a wayhouse for the unwary. I own it, and live here. How long will you be staying?"

"Maliana, pleasure," interjected Obi-wan before the small child could shrink further into himself. "Where is Doc?" At his words, so businesslike, but also caring and worried, her face, with its' slight Oriental cast tightened. Her hands involuntarily gripped the blaster handle tighter.

"He's … dead."

A flash of worry crossed Obi-wan's face. This was not a good development to his hasty plan.

_I'm sorry about the whole lack of updating thing. I forgot what happened so I had to rethink it, and then I had to go on vacation. Thank you all you people, reviewers and whatnot. It was supposed to be longer, but I'll actually update this time not wait hours and days. Things will begin to happen, people will realize not everyone is dead. What I'm saying is, the plot will thicken. _

_Did anyone else think that the Alec Guinness Kenobi and the Ewan McGregor Kenobi don't really seem like the same person? I guess twenty years alone in the desert'll do that to a person. _


	3. Chapter 3

_This is chapter three. They're short because I'm writing them between classes. I forgot what happened again. Oh well, I'll make it up as I go along. You might meet the new people in this one. Or maybe we'll all get shot at. Funfunfunfunfun. _

Chapter Three:

_Bugger. This is not good. _Obi-wan thought. _Not goodnotgoodnogood. _He tried to let his Jedi training take over. "Can you help us, Mali?"

The stand-offish woman thought about it, visibly thought for a second or two. "Yes. Find Elessa and she will tell you what to do with the kids. It's the Senate, then?"

He didn't answer but she always knew when she was right.

"This way…" The ten children followed, obedient, as they relied on their half-trained minds to cope in difficult situations. Kenya and Breck still acted as the leaders.

"Sir, uh Master Kenobi," the voice of Breck hesitantly broke in on the silence, as they walked down the gray hallway through the steel-plated building. It may have started tasteful, but inside it was all for conservation of money, and necessity. The building was stark. "Master, shouldn't we split up by gender, and then decide what to do with – us all?"

Still in shock that such a thing as violating the temple could happen, he turned, nerves fraying. He took a deep breath. "Yes. That is – wise. But, first we shall see Elessa. She, as you will fast see. Knows Everything."

"Yes, master."

They arrived in a room, not unlike a kitchen, where a young woman sat, brown curls covering her face, and a lithe, small body was covered with a silky dress that still succeeded in looking innocent despite the amount of skin you could see.

"Elessa." Obi-wan's voice was flat, and trying hard not to be emotional. But he didn't succeed. Well, Kenya could tell he wasn't succeeding. She read emotions better than most people read books. But mostly she just smiled her secret smile and moved on. This was different.

"Obi-wan? You'll be here because of the temple?" She didn't know? How could she not… oh. Right. Pleasant conversation.

"Yes, we were forced to leave a bit unexpectedly."

"You look shaken up…" she said kindly to the children who did indeed look a little scared and worried. "Come, and we'll get you a place to sleep, and maybe baths and something to eat eh?"

All the kids looked at her like she was the only haven of light in the universe and they would do anything for her. With the possible exception of the leaders. So off they went into the home part of this office/house/wareport thing.

"Here are your rooms, and here are the baths, separate ones for everyone, and here is the kitchen." They had gotten back to where they started. Everyone blinked. They were so tired. It was only about ten at night, but in Jedi training everyone was to be asleep by then anyway.

"Perhaps," Obi-wan said softly, looking at the children. "Perhaps baths in the morning, and food and everything. Go, into your rooms. But, Kenya, Brett, I need to speak with you. You may stay up later if you should so desire."

The two followed him, and they sat in the now vacant kitchen. Obi-wan scanned the kitchen for Elessa, and was disappointed when she wasn't there. Which was stupid, he'd've had to send her away if she was in the kitchen, but he _liked _seeing her.

"Kenya, Brett," he began. "We're not going to be Jedi. You must have realized this isn't a test, but this is all some Younglings have known. They can't imagine a life where they aren't Jedi. But we have to stick together, and under their noses is the best place to hide. Normal people, some would say _sane _people," he stopped and chuckled here. "Would have left by now. And gotten caught. They think us dead, so we'll disappear as if we are. Begin our lives again."

"But what does this have to do with us?" The short, Asian featured Kenya asked, with a quizzical tilt to her head.

"You," Obi-wan began, but he was soon interrupted by Brett, who for once seemed to have gotten the point faster than Kenya. He hadn't noticed yet, or he was suppressing the urge to gloat very well.

"We, Kenya, are the leaders. We're all strong and shit, and we know what to do. He needs our help. He's all Jedi-knighty, that sounded weird, but he can't make kids trust him. No offense, but they know us better." That last was directed at Obi-wan, who was sitting on the counter, looking amused.

"Well," Kenya began again, now filled in on the score. "What is up with you, and that nice woman, Elessa? It sounds awkward."

Obi-wan started and looked pensive and slightly ill at the same time. "It's nothing. She's an old… friend."

"And," Brett said. "We should, getting back to the subject, arrange some sort of chain of command. Like I watch these kids and do these things, and she does this, and you supervise or something."

"Yes, how about you take the five boys, and you be their watcher, that includes Shi'non, Escar, Luka, Odyseeo, and Marc. Kenya, you should watch the three girls and pay particular attention to Madara. She and her other two friends should stick together, but Rata, and Tsitsi like her well enough so that shouldn't be a problem."

"Right," all three said together. Then they sighed. This is so… hard.

The two teenagers left, to sort out the kids, and see if anyone was misbehaving. They'd coped well from this morning to nearly being killed in the morning. Staying here could only be temporary. A week at most. But a lot could happen in a week. Maybe Mariana and Elessa could help them to move, the sisters were great at that sort of thing.

Elessa was great at a lot of things. He'd missed her. More than he would admit.

_Elessa._

_Well. You see, I wrote a chapter about nothing. They'll continue running in about a day or two. Being killed by Anakin and all that. But first I have to reveal secrets and have Obi-wan get snogged or something. _

_Silveni Jinx_

_Oh and review would you?_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

_Ummmm. Man this story sucks. Read it anyway dammit!_

_Stuff's gonna happen, and then more stuff'll happen. The focus is going to shift to umm Brett and Kenya. Because they're mine, and conceivably they could be observant enough to see this. _

"So what happens now?" Kenya inquired of Brett. They were sitting in the top of the warehouse section of the house after exploring the whole thing.

The 'way-house' as Maliana had called it last night, was a three story building, built gray and completely average so as not to draw attention to itself. On the inside, it was divided into three compounds. The warehouse, which doubled as a workroom for fixing ships, the house, where the kids were hidden, and the actual way-house, which was much like a no-questions-asked hotel and club for travelers. They had gone through it all.

The way-house was well-furnished and clean as possible in the Lower Levels. It was racy at night and boring the daytime. There was a bar and dancers and everything. Maliana studiously avoided it, and disliked talking about it. It seemed she disapproved of excess in anything, especially things like nightclubs. They still didn't understand why she lived in one then.

Since they had finished the way-house portion of the building, they moved up a floor to the living quarters, which were sparse and grey, but comfortable, with only a few touches of home that showed that people actually lived there. There were Younglings in it now, with loud screeches and laughs most of the day. Well, some of the day. Obi-wan's time was taken up with teaching them Jedi survival tactics. They'd need them.

Kenya and Brett, now an inseparable leading team, did not find it hard, or against their morals to find out more of the place they lived in. Nor did Obi-wan notice, he was far too busy – well, as Kenya put it 'following bite-size kids and staring at Elessa' She disapproved of the Knight's obvious liking of Elessa. Not that that was wrong, but there were more important things.

Like knowing the terrain. Lastly, there was the place the search ended: the warehouse. This was a typical structure for its purpose, it was big and steel-made. Everything was blocky and possibly able to kill you, as well as fix big ships and hide big packages. Standard warehouse. Just it was underground, so there weren't any windows.

Kenya repeated her question to Brett. "What now?"

He started, fuzzy brown head jerking up as she finally registered in his head. "You mean, what do we do?" At her nod, he continued, trying to seem sure of himself. "Well, we can't stay here long, Anikan Skywalker is not a fool. He'll realize we've hidden among so many conflicting emotions of the Lower City to be shielded from him. So he'll search this place, house by house, club by club. He may or may not know that Master Kenobi has friends here. We'll be gone within the week."

"Really?"

"I think so. He's waiting until the younger ones are ready to at least survive a day on their own. Maybe he just wants to stare at that 'Lessa chick."

He winced as Kenya punched him. "Shut up."

"Well," she decided to put in her two cents about their having searched everything. "We know the terrain. What about the people? We don't know anything about them."

"Obi-wan trusts them."

"What are you? Five? Obi-wan trusted Anikan too. Look where we are 'cause of that" the honey-haired girl retorted viciously.

"Fine. We'll snoop (A/N people in Star Wars wouldn't say snoop but cut me some slack.) after some of the people around. Who first?"

"To save time," Kenya began, her evil plan unfolding. "We shall split up. I can take Elessa, you Maliana. If you need help, come and get me."

"'Kay"

_**That night, Kenya follows Elessa.** (A/N man I'm bored, and I've never written anything like this… but I'll give it a try if you review me)_

Elessa opened her door quietly, and slipped out of her room, and downstairs to the wayhouse. She was dressed the same as always in her innocent style. She went to the club and a cheer greeted her. Apparently they knew her name. And liked her.

Unbeknownst to the woman, she was followed by a fourteen-year old shadow. Kenya followed and wondered why a woman such as Elessa, so innocent and nice would be in a strip-club where everyone knew her name. She raised an eyebrow. _That _wouldn't make Master Kenobi too happy, honorable as he was.

Her suspicions were confirmed when the woman started to dance to loud music, in many alien tongues. Having been sheltered in the Jedi Temple, far away from the Lower Levels, she'd never seen anything like that. And it was rather extreme. Holy crap, no one needed to move like that.

She'd seen enough. There was a complete double life happening there. She went off to find out if her partner in crime had found anything. She grinned as she left. Good thing Brett was assigned to the woman who couldn't or wouldn't dance. She doubted he'd've left when she did. The thought at its conclusion made her smile sour. But she didn't know why.

_Meanwhile… Brett's following Maliana._

Brett's life was boring. That was his only problem about being a Jedi Knight. He got really bored really easily. He was sitting on the floor of the warehouse waiting for Maliana to come out of the adjacent rooms. He tapped the floor from his concealed hiding place. It made a nice rhythm. He wondered whether Kenya was bored too.

A hand grabbed his hand and stopped its incessant tapping. "Stop it. That's not stealthy in the least."

"Kenya!" he whispered furiously. "Hi! Did you get anything?"

"Uh yeah. Elessa's a stripper."

"Sure you got the right girl?"

"Yup. You? Anything?"

"Nope. Nothing. She doesn't move from her- wait! There she goes."

They watched Maliana for another half hour randomly clean things and do generally boring tasks. Suddenly she sat of the edge of a speeder that needed repainting and started to cry. For no apparent reason.

"What?" Brett whispered.

A door slamming in the relative silence startled them all. Obi-wan ran through the warehouse. Stopped. Turned around and saw Maliana and instantly looked concerned. "Maliana? What's wrong?"

She hiccupped and sobbed some more, now clutching at his – robe? – and only cried harder. "Doc. I don't want him to be gone."

"He was your father, Mali, of course you don't want him to be gone. It would be wrong if you did want him gone."

"Yeah."

The blond Jedi Knight rocked her back and forth and comforted her, until Kenya, who disliked emotion in general thought she was going to be ill from all the smarmyness. "Come on," she signaled.

They left. All night they say in their secret office in the warehouse, far away from Maliana and Obi-wan, and tried to fit all the stuff together. Kenya filled in Brett and Brett put in his two cents.

After arguing about things for about an hour, an alarm sounded. Lights flashed and that 'awooga' sound went over and over.

Everyone was rounded up into the small antechamber they'd entered in that first night. It had only been about three days.

Obi-wan and Maliana entered, "What is it?" she asked, still red-eyed.

"Droids," someone said as Elessa rushed in, now only wearing about half the clothes she's started with.

"Run." Kenya said softly. "We're running again."

They were all hurried onto a ship by Maliana, who knew what all the ships did, having worked them all. She met Obi-wan's eyes squarely, black against blue. "I'm coming."

"I know. 'Lessa?"

"Sorry, love, you know, work to do. See you if you live." The woman looked cruel and uncaring now, in the face of disaster, even as she had looked sweet and nice in times of plenty. She turned and left. Obi-wan looked – disappointed.

"We have to go," Brett and Kenya pulled Obi-wan into the ship, as Maliana started it up.

They were running again.

_There was bloody chapter four. And Obi-wan's not getting snogged, he's sad. And Kenya and Brett know all. If you review, and you should, tell me your pairing for Obi-wan. Maliana vs. Elessa. Thy both have twists and shyte. _

_Review me if you got this far. _


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